I rushed into the mansion with Masha close behind, my heart pounding as I searched for the source of the scream. It had been Sasha's voice, sharp and panicked, cutting through the silence like a knife. I called out her name as soon as we crossed the threshold, my voice echoing off the high ceilings.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDmb6AuLzk
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"Sasha! SASHA!"270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCb5bKgScM
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No response. Just as my anxiety began to spike, her voice came again, faint but steady. "I'm over here."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbuiq7qYNL
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMB4eMSxV3
I followed the sound to the study, a room lined with towering bookshelves and heavy wooden furniture. The air felt heavier here, as if the walls themselves were pressing in. At first glance, the room seemed empty, but then Sasha's voice echoed from an unexpected direction. "Behind the bookshelf."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡus9eySYpYb
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I stepped closer, my pulse quickening as I peered behind the massive structure. Sasha stood on a narrow staircase that descended into darkness, her face pale in the dim light. A faint, cold draft wafted up from below, carrying with it a smell that made my stomach churn—mildew, yes, but something else too, something metallic and sharp.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLmY869s5E
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"Can you believe it?" Sasha whispered, her voice trembling despite her attempt at excitement. "This place has an underground room."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gLYaqDoPQ
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSLwylnSpQ
I stared into the abyss, my heart pounding. The darkness seemed to pulse, as if alive, and for a moment, I thought I heard something—a faint, rhythmic sound, like footsteps echoing from deep below.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnnQwcJZHG
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Before I could respond, the others filed into the study. Maya, Hendrick, and Martin must have noticed Masha standing by the bookshelf, or perhaps she had pointed them in our direction. Either way, they were suddenly crowding around me, their presence making the room feel even smaller.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVafUoCFobF
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"Are you okay?" Maya asked, her voice tight with concern.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoODjdjvf3F
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"Is that an underground room? Sick!" Martin said, his eyes lighting up.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fLlwoxZUr
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"I know, right?" Sasha replied, ignoring my glare. "I was checking out some of the books, and one of them triggered this mechanism. The shelf just slid open, and I freaked out."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6vZm4cPbD
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyVgSj3NI1
"Which book?" Hendrick asked, his tone curious.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpXTKpTiK8
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dANxNoioN
"I think it was Catch-22," Sasha said.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQ5s00aAR3
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"Where does it lead?" Martin pressed.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyD4hTZ5bHP
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"I haven't looked yet."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrVFLjdYrW
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"Can we explore?" Sasha asked, her eyes darting to Maya, who in turn looked to Hendrick. He exchanged a quick, almost imperceptible smile with Martin before nodding.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MlkBofrLl
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Before Maya could respond, I stepped in. "No! Absolutely not!" I said, my voice firm. "Are you guys insane? This isn't our house. We can't just go snooping around. How am I the voice of reason right now?"270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBedpLpr7cc
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"Are you saying you're not curious about what the Whites are hiding down there?" Martin challenged.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rkTNAJnWs
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I was. Of course I was. But I had the decency to keep that to myself.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhB47dH76t
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTkF7Vb5RH
"Not even a little," I lied. "And even if I were, it doesn't matter. We're here to clean, not play detective."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQYvBkKdv0
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"Okay, spoilsport," Martin muttered.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnxBLDd43C
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"Very mature," I shot back. "Did you forget why we're here in the first place?"270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1xdUURqq2
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVGB7EPTai
I reached out to Sasha, helping her up from the staircase. Masha, ever the quiet observer, carefully replaced Catch-22 on the shelf. The mechanism whirred softly, the sound unnaturally smooth, as if the gears hadn't been used in years. The bookshelf slid back into place with a satisfying click that echoed through the room.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEnGyjN7RT
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Cool. But also terrifying.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd364iQfRwd
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The group drifted back to the living room, but I stayed behind for a moment, my nerves still on edge. I stepped outside, pulling a cigarette from my pocket and lighting it with trembling hands. The cool evening air helped steady me, but my thoughts were still racing.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7q5ZdW43H
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Sasha joined me a moment later, her presence quiet but unmistakable. She held out her hand, and I passed her the cigarette without a word. She took a drag, exhaling slowly before handing it back.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxR4EGd7ms
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"Since when do you smoke?" she asked, her tone casual but probing.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWWCZd8Hzi
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"Since when do you smoke?" I countered, raising an eyebrow.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9pHYuqh7y
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She laughed softly, the sound almost lost in the evening breeze. "You know, this is the longest conversation we've had since you got back from rehab."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnl2TZ3qqN
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hoyRG2PIm
"Is it?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPSq1Q9KFq
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"You've been distant," she said, her voice softening. "I miss having my best friend. And I know Maya misses her sister."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwAaizTZFZ
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I didn't respond immediately, my gaze fixed on the horizon as the sun dipped lower in the sky.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03LnKqccgn
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"Do you hate me?" Sasha asked suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRenyF83mzx
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I turned to look at her, surprised. "Why would I hate you?"270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuI5itRytTS
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"Because I was the one who told Maya and the principal about your addiction."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLk2ywVPdt
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEM4BQdhB6v
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I don't hate you for that."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLohpvAmeV
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"So you do hate me," she said, her tone half-joking but with an undercurrent of seriousness.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIpl8wqt3Z
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVz3aQejBhw
"I don't hate you," I said firmly. "But I've been avoiding the clubhouse for a reason."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtz74zyt67
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMupEMTZOdF
"Is it because of me and Martin?" she asked, her voice tentative.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTabcu8WjT2
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"It's Hendrick," I said bluntly. "I can't stand his face."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6mBEboFP6
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Sasha gave me a look, her eyes narrowing. "Why can't you be serious for once?"270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78xrs7aOEd
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpkRqFS17w
"I am serious," I said, though my tone was lighter than I intended. "But fine. The school counselor thinks I blame him."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTl7DXjAZOW
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCg5AywTyuZ
"Blame him for what?" Sasha asked, her brow furrowing. Then her eyes widened in realization. "He's the one who introduced you to drugs, isn't he?"270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdD2CcvzpZb
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUTFqTWRkk
I hesitated, the words caught in my throat. "Isn't he?" she pressed, louder this time.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03ZgOOCn4p
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"Yes," I admitted, the word heavy with unspoken resentment.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NJG0F805J
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPRNLGcK8r
Sasha's face darkened, and she turned on her heel, storming back toward the mansion. I grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOnx91HW33
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"Let me go!" she snapped, her voice sharp.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNV5t922ydu
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7vDbKNwAT
"Why? So you can punch Hendrick? What good would that do?"270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2DFicU4Jb
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJRp6H7cEm
"You have no idea the things he's said about you," Sasha said, her voice trembling with anger. "He acts like it was all your fault, like he had nothing to do with it. If only I'd known the truth."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSQ4bsOGPI
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I looked away, my chest tightening. "It doesn't matter what he says. I made my choices."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hU8rLuiIe
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hyIljMQng
"But he made them easier," she shot back, her voice breaking. "He knew what he was doing. And now he acts like he's better than you, like he's some kind of saint."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawWkRQzEUc
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQpZFKVyoq
I didn't respond, my gaze fixed on the horizon. The sun was sinking lower, casting long shadows across the lawn. "Maybe he is better than me," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "But that doesn't change anything. I'm still here. And I'm still trying."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGX0rZfuPWO
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpQ0kX1lUE
Sasha stared at me for a long moment before nodding reluctantly. "Fine."270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9H2wLs9Ta
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuEcIyPIBL
"Thank you," I said, offering her a small smile. "Evelyn sure is taking her time with those groceries, huh?" I added, trying to lighten the mood.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnhH3wFMcs
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"Yeah," Sasha said, though her tone was still distant.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMv0XiCyjqC
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXzr9fuH0j
I sighed and sat down on the ground, the grass surprisingly soft beneath me. "Sit with me," I said, patting the spot beside me. Sasha hesitated before joining me, her shoulders still tense.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExR2NXvrbh
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The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. The air was cool, and for a moment, everything felt almost peaceful.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOENhmhndle
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------
Penana
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